Hoeing or cultivating machine.



No. 638,'093. P atented Nov. 28. 1899.

J. r. CARROLL. I

HOEING DR GULTIVATING MACHINE.

Appl canon filed Aug. 7, 1899.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.-

T 1 m -I: llllllllllllllllllll No. 638,093. Patentnd l'lov. 28, I899.

J. F. CARROLL.-

HOEINGUR CULTIVATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

m'lz'r-lessea 1:112;

-' 5E)? JW WHLL UNITE STATES PATENT l Fries.

JOHN F. CARROLL, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOEING OR CULTIVATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent N 0. 638,093, dated November 28, 1899. Application filed August 7, 1899. Serial No. 726,382. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. CARROLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Hoeing or Cultivating Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a machine for cultivating or hoein g vegetables, especially to a machine adapted for banking or hillin g up the earth around vegetables planted in hills rather than in rows; and the especial object of my present invention is to improve and simplify that form of cultivating or hoeing machine illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 623,766, granted to me April 25, 1899.

To these ends my invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a hoeing-machine constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the operation of the wedge or cam for adjusting the depth to which the machine shall operate. Figs. 4., 5, and 6 are detail fragmentary, views illustrating the construction and adjustment of a foot-piece which may be clamped to a leg of a hoeing-machine constructed according to myinvention so as to be parallel therewith or may be turned at an angle thereto to form a cross foot-piece, if so desired; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view .illustrating the manner in which the slotted hoeing-blades are adj ustably connected to their shafts.

My present improvements in hoeing-machines relate principally to an improved means for supporting the vertical shaft so that it can be readily raised or lowered to regulate the depth to which the machine shall operate, to an improved arrangement of hoeing-blades, which are mounted in pairs and may be set to different relative angles to operate over a smaller or larger extent of surface and to bank the earth into larger or smaller hills, asdesired, and to an improved adjustable foot-piece for the framework of the machine. Y

Referring to the accompanying drawings and in detail, a hoeing-machine constructed according to my present invention comprises platforms 10 and 11, which are supported by a plurality of inclined legs 12. These parts may be of substantially the same construction as illustrated in my Patent No. 623,766, before referred to, except that in practice I prefer to adjustably secure the inclined legs 12 to the platforms 10 and 11 by means of bolts which extend through slots in the legs 12 and have wing-nuts threaded thereon. The upper platform 11 is provided with an incline 0r wedge section 15, and extending down through the.incline 15 and journaled in the platformslO and 11 is a Vertical shaft 13, which may be operated or turned by means of crank-handles 14. A movable wedge-piece 16 is interposed between the incline 15 and the hub of the lower crank-handle 14:, so that by moving the wedge-piece 16 back or forth, asdesired, and as illustrated in Fig.3, the vertical shaft 13 may be moved up and down to regulate the depth to which the hoeing-blades carried by said shaft, as hereinafter explained, may operate. The adjustable wedge-piece 16 may be fastened in fixed position by means of hooks, if desired, as shown in Fig. 2.

Adjustablysecured on the vertical shaft 13, near its lower end, is a supporting-arm 17. Extending down from the outer ends of the supporting-arm 17 and arranged to be adjusted therein by means of sector-shaped pieces, as described in my Patent No. 623,766, before referred to, are vertical rods or shafts 1S. Secured on the lower ends of the vertical rods or shafts 18 are the hoeing or digging blades, two such hoeing-blades being preferably carried by each of the shafts 18.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and '7, the hoeing-blades 19 are longitudinally slotted and are reversably bolted or secured to back pieces, which back pieces are-adjusta bly connected to the shafts 18, so that the hoeing or digging blades carried by each of said shafts 18 may be set to difierent angles with respect to each other. The position of the hoeing-blades may be reversed, if desired, and each of the hoeing-blades 19 is preferably serrated or provided with teeth along one edge, so that the toothed or plain-digging edge of each blade 19 may be employed, as desired. As shown most clearly in Fig. 7, the upper back piece 20 has its hub arranged substantially in the center line thereof, while the bottom back piece 21 is offset, so as to keep the digging-blades at the same relative elevation. By means of this construction the hoeing-blades may be set at different relative angles with respect to each other, and as the hoeing-blades are slotted the heel-section of one hoeing-blade may extend more or less to the other side of its companion hoeing-blade.

In some cases, where hoeing-machines constructed according to my invention are to be used in soft or sandy soil, it is desirable to provide the legs with foot-pieces, which will prevent them from sinking too deeply into the soil. In order to accomplish this purpose, I preferably provide the legs of a machine constructed according to my invention with foot-pieces which may, if desired, be set transversely to said legs to form cross footpieces having increased surfaces to prevent the legs from becoming too deeply seated. The construction which I preferably employ for this purpose is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and As shown in these figures, each of the legs 12 is provided with a footpiece 22, which is rabbeted on. one side, so that it can be clamped on the lower end of its leg 12, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and said foot-piece is also provided with a cross socket or recess 23 for receiving the leg 12, so that said foot-piece may be clamped in the position illustrated in Fig. 6 to form a cross-piece when desired.

I am aware that many changes may be made in my digging-machine by those who are skilled in the art and that certain features of my construction may be used in different locations and in different combinations from those herein shown and described, and I do not Wish, therefore, to be limited to the construction which I have herein illustrated; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a hoeing-machine, the combination of a frame, a vertical shaft journaled therein, a supporting-arm extending from said vertical shaft, hoeing-hlades carried by said supporting-arm, and a movable Wedge-section cooperating with an oppositely-inclined Wedgesection on the frame of the machine for raising and lowering the vertical shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a hoeing-machine, the combination of a frame, a vertical shaft j ournaled therein, a supporting-arm extending from said vertical shaft, a pair of hoeing-blades supported at one end of said arm, and means for adjusting said hoeing-blades to different relative angles with respect to each other, substantially as described.

3. In a hoeing-machine, the combination of a frame, a vertical shaft journaled therein, a supporting-arm extending from said vertical shaft, and a pair of hoeing-blades supported from the outer end of said arm, said hoeingblades being adjustably mounted so that they can be set at different angles, and being slotted so that they may be adjusted longitudinally, substantially as described.

4. In a hoeing-machine, the combination of a frame, a vertical shaft journaled therein, hoeing-blades carried by said shaft, and footpieces for the legs of the frame, said footpieces being adj ustably secured to the lower ends of said legs whereby they may be clamped parallel with said legs, or may be turned at an angle thereto, to form cross-pieces, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hax e hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. CARROLL.

Vitnesses:

M. E. REGAN, LOUIS W. SOUTHGATE. 

